Karen Hallsman Coaching

🗓 Building upon the theme of this year's National Employee Benefits Day, here are a few essential insights about loneliness, and one super cool way organizations can alleviate it.

Loneliness:

✴ affects workplace health and productivity and is directly connected to stress and burnout.

✴ can increase the risk of withdrawing from self-care (we might not manage preexisting mental or physical illnesses as effectively).

✴ is associated with a 30% increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

✴ affects a diverse group of individuals across various life stages and circumstances, with complex reasons stemming from personal life, work life, and community dynamics.

✴ can be transformed with the arts and creative expression! 🎨

▶ Find out more about Project UnLonely and how they're using evidence-based, arts and creative expression programs to improve personal and public health at www.artandhealing.org.

On this National Employee Benefits Day in the US, we highlight the theme of "Creating Community to Combat Loneliness," which resonates deeply with me!

With as my #1 CliftonStrengths® theme, I realize I’m a bit biased, 😁 but amidst the challenges of remote work, hybrid models, recent layoffs and world events, the importance of community has never been more evident.

By cultivating a supportive and inclusive environment where employees feel valued, heard, and connected, organizations can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. 🤝💙

With all the work and responsibilities already on our plate, I know it can feel challenging. But it can be done - and it is!

🌟 If you’re creating connection and inclusivity at your workplace, help others by sharing it below! Create connection by dialoguing and learning from each other. 🙂

🎙 It was such an honor to be on Hannah Holden's podcast this week talking all things burnout and STRENGTHS!

✅ And if you don't know .co.uk, give her a follow. She's a wonderful burnout and stress mastery coach who incorporates yoga and breath work into her practice.

Thank you for having me, Hannah!

Link to the episode on her website https://hannahholden.co.uk/podcast.

📉 According to Gallup research “managers are less engaged, have lower wellbeing, experience more burnout and are more at risk of leaving their organization when compared to the teams they manage. It used to be the opposite.”

👆 This is a big statement. It’s a big challenge with many layers, many root causes, and therefore, many different solutions.

One solution to help you and your team through this challenge is CliftonStrengths.

Data shows that if you focus on using your Strengths, you are

✅ 6x more likely to be engaged with your job, and
✅ THREE TIMES more likely to report an excellent overall quality of life!

When work sucks, it affects all aspects of life. (See Gallup’s book Wellbeing at Work for the data on that one).

But you can learn how to thrive at work - and it’s simpler to learn than you might think.

I hate it when people are miserable at work. I want to help you be well, happy, and engaged, and with minimal time, effort and investment. 🙂

DM me or click the link in my bio to schedule a call to see how we can get you (and your team) feeling better, and loving work again.

In honor of the very first International Women’s Day observed in March 1911, here is a literal snapshot of life at that time.

This is my grandmother with her mom and sister in the summer of 1911, visiting my great-aunt who lived in Long Beach, CA. (She's the cheeky one in front). 😁

Apparently, my great-grandmother loved it so much, she called her husband in Iowa and told him they were moving, so he’d better start packing. 😂

In a time where women couldn't vote, and mostly stayed at home, that took some serious guts! So long story short, he packed. And they moved from Iowa to Long Beach to Los Angeles... And here we are, well over 100 years later.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the influence of so many women who demonstrated courage and strength, as well as vulnerability and wisdom.

Thank you to all of you who have been an example of what’s possible.

“Your weaknesses will never develop, while your Strengths will develop infinitely.”

What are your thoughts on this? 🤔

I think about how many of us were raised in a culture that prioritizes “fixing” areas of weakness, so this may not sit right with some.

I’m lucky - my parents never pressured me to excel in something that was a downright struggle. I hear their voices saying to my younger perfectionistic self:

“It’s ok to aim for an A, but maybe in this subject, go for the B. AND...it’s ok if you get a C.” ❤️

That last part was hard for me. I certainly didn’t want to spend more time on something I hated (and sucked at - math). But I also hated “bad” grades. So I added pain on top of pain and silently beat myself up for anything less than a B.

I was stressed out in school for YEARS.

Burnout has many layers, and one of them, I believe, stems from growing up in a weakness-focused culture.

I mentioned the other day that one of my CliftonStrengths can be described as “one who is strengths-obsessed.”

What that means is that we benefit so much more when we focus on and develop what IS working. We don’t deny weaknesses, we just find ways to delegate, partner, or manage them.

And we don’t judge ourselves by what we can’t do. We keep doing more of what we CAN.

Our lives will move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts.

What do you want to think about.... All the crap that isn’t working, or all the stuff that IS?

One path leads to fulfillment, peace, joy, and creativity. The other leads to... well possibly burnout.

Everyone benefits from knowing their Strengths. You (obviously) but also your team, your spouse or significant other, your best friends.

Do you know yours? Are you APPLYING them in meaningful ways?

Share in the comments what is working for you right now (hint: it’s whatever energizes you).

The CliftonStrengths® theme of Maximizer® is described in part by the terms “strengths-oriented” and “strengths-OBSESSED.” 👈 That’s me! 💯

For the last 15 years, I've had the privilege of helping individuals and teams in various organizations discover and leverage their strengths to enhance their work and life experiences. (The pic below is from one of my first Strengths trainings at TPx!)

Since late 2022, this has been a significant aspect of my coaching work, guiding numerous teams through leadership and CliftonStrengths training.

Recently, I facilitated a Strengths team-building exercise for the HR and business ops team at one of the companies I've worked with. It was an abbreviated version of what I normally do, yet it was amazing to see what insights and applications were possible in just one and half hours!

So many companies have their employees take assessments, but after it’s done, it’s like.... that was fun, but now what? I worked with this team's leadership to help them continue integrating Strengths into their day-to-day so it becomes part of their common language, and ultimately, the team culture.

🙌 Best job ever.

🌟 Building a strengths-based organization addresses fundamental needs, including feeling seen, heard, and developed.

🌟 By starting with strengths, teams experience greater connection with their work, increased energy, and enhanced productivity. It’s a win-win!

How is your team faring? Have you conducted a thorough quality check-in with them lately? If you sense they could benefit from a boost or if you're uncertain, let's chat.

And how about you? Sometimes leaders have concerns they need to talk through with someone who’s not their boss, and not HR. And while advice from loved ones is valuable, professional guidance can offer deeper insights.

I'm here to support you and your team! Click the link in my bio to schedule a complimentary chat and mini-coaching session.

Let's explore how a Strengths-based approach can help you overcome your obstacles and achieve more success.

Ever feel like there’s a part of you that desperately wants to move forward with something, and there’s another part of you that cannot take even one little step?

It’s tempting to get mad at the part that appears to be holding you back.

It can be frustrating. But instead of making that part wrong, what if you got curious instead?

It’s a valid part of you that wants to be heard, not shut down.

Just like Ted Lasso said...when he was quoting Walt Whitman...who he may have been misquoting...

“Be curious, not judgmental”.

Self doubt, self-judgment, self-criticism are all so common in burnout. It’s like adding a layer of pain on top of your pain. There’s no upside to that.

And I know you know that, but you also need help in releasing the judgement if you want to move forward and feel better.

I can help you listen to all your parts with curiosity and compassion, so you can release the judgement and start feeling like your inspired, confident self again.

Click the link in my bio to schedule a free consult.

Self-doubt never goes away.

Some of the most successful and influential people I know or follow have said this at some point. And I think I’m on board with this idea.

I kind of like knowing that no matter how many goals we achieve or what level of success we attain, we’re still humans.

We will still fear failure and disappointment, freak out when things go wrong, and wonder if we’ve made a huge mistake.

So if you’re ever upset with yourself for doubting yourself, just know you’re in good company. It’s a sign you’re doing big things.

If you’re really stuck in self-doubt or indecision, you might be in a bit of a freeze state. That’s ok. Your brain detects a threat. Feeling unsafe is a hallmark of burnout.

I can help you help your brain feel safe to move forward.

Click the link in my bio to schedule a free discovery session and we’ll get you moving in no time.

It’s so interesting how our minds often bias toward the negative. Especially about ourselves.

In coaching sessions, I can’t tell you how many times someone has said:

▪I think my Strengths are the cause of my stress.
▪If I just lowered my standards, my life would be so much easier.
▪All my Strengths are bad so... I don’t know what to do.

( 👆 This one literally made me LOL... there are no “bad” Strengths.) 🤣

Everyone who’s ever made a comment like this has had several things in common:
✔ They are smart
✔ They have a great work ethic
✔ They are driven
✔ They care

Yet all these comments share a common thread:

There’s something wrong with me. I’m broken. I’m doing something wrong.

🤔 What if there was nothing wrong with you?

What if instead you just needed to see that on the other side of your greatest challenges are your greatest talents and strengths? And those talents just need a little TLC.

Your talents are like a two-sided coin:

👍 There’s the genius side that creates amazing value and SUCCESS.
👎 Then there’s the other side... which can sometimes get in the way of your greatest FULFILLMENT.

Take care of your talents and they will take care of you. 🤗

I can teach you how! Click the link in my bio to schedule a free discovery session.

Wrapped up my last talk on burnout for he California Job’s Daughters leadership team with a quick stop in Napa to rest and recharge with friends and nature. And a little wine. And croissants.

Thanks again to and the leaders for having me. It was so lovely spending time with you and getting to know you. 🙂